Are You a Connected Educator?

Are you a connected educator? The just-scratching-the-surface answer is yes, because you’re reading this blog post. Absorbing and sharing content online is just one part of connecting. When you opened this article and began reading, you connected with me and with Brilliant or Insane, an education blog.

There is a deeper dive to being a connected educator, though. Sure, absorbing content on the web plays a valuable role in the lives of all connected educators, but those who value connectedness, understand that sharing is equally important. They create and/or participate in ongoing discussions about learning.

So, what exactly is a connected educator?

A connected educator uses social media and a personal learning network to establish an ongoing global conversation about learning, education policy, and best practices in the classroom.

Connected educators believe in collaboration. As Tom Whitby, co-author of The Relevant Educator, says in the beginning of the video above, “Technology has taken us to a level where we can collaborate beyond our wildest imagination.”

Connected educators put learning in the palm of your hands 365 days a year. They write blog posts, curate content on wikis, tweet ideas, post links to Facebook and other social networks, and they present ideas at conferences. October celebrates connected educators.